On Monday July 23, officials from NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the city of Santa Cruz celebrated the opening of the Sanctuary Exploration Center, a state-of-the-art facility full of interpretive and hands-on exhibits highlighting the sanctuary’s extraordinary natural and cultural resources. Exhibits include the Exploration Theater, a walk through a kelp forest, an intertidal touchpool, an open-ocean mini-theater, and a replica deep-sea canyon with a remotely operated vehicle.

Demonstrators say the North Coast Cell project is a threat to views, endangered species and resident safety.

Residents of Santa Cruz County concerned about health, privacy, and the environment, as well as those who enjoy the beaches of the north coast free of cell towers and other industrial equipment, demonstrated in front of Verizon Wireless’s retail store on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz on Saturday July 21. The protest raised awarenesses about the company’s plans, along with NextG corporation, to install six new cell sites along Highway 1 and Swanton Road in the county’s remote north coast region.

Demonstrators say the North Coast Cell project is a threat to views, endangered species and resident safety. The California Coastal Commission is expected to decide whether to issue a coastal permit for the project at its meeting on Aug. 10 at the Santa Cruz County building. A large community presence is anticipated.

The seven remaining defendants in the 75 River Street case will have a preliminary hearing before Judge Burdick on August 20th.

On Friday, July 20th, Cameron Laurendeau, represented by Alexis Briggs, and Franklin “Angel” Alcantara, represented by Jesse Ruben, went before Judge John Salazar in department 3 of the Santa Cruz Courthouse. There were about a dozen people, including four codefendants, supporting them in court. Alcantara and Laurendeau are among the eleven people known as the “Santa Cruz Eleven” who were each charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors in association with the Fall 2011 occupation of the vacant Wells Fargo Bank building located at 75 River Street in downtown Santa Cruz.

A police cruiser was parked in the street as two officers stood over a young man seated on the curb with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Since 2007, Santa Cruz, California has been designated as a “Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community” by the Washington, D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists. There are currently 27 Bicycle Friendly Communities in California, and Santa Cruz is one of seven Silver Level communities. Davis, California was awarded the Platinum Level, while San Francisco, Palo Alto and Stanford University received Gold recognition.

Judge Burdick, who previously expressed that he would rather not have to preside over this case anymore, stated, “Once again, we are stuck with each other Ms. Young.”

On Thursday, July 5th, over a dozen supporters attended a hearing at the Santa Cruz Courthouse for five of the Santa Cruz Eleven; Gabriella Riply-Phipps, Becky Johnson, Robert Norse, Desiree Foster, and Brent Adams.

Judge Paul Burdick, one of three judges who have presided over the case filed against eleven individuals for their alleged involvement in the occupation of 75 River St., said the papers submitted by Assistant District Attorney Rebekah Young did not address the question of timeliness for filing a 170.6 challenge. Judge Burdick ruled against the DA’s “untimely” 170.6 motion seeking to have him dismissed from the case.

Judge Burdick, who previously expressed that he would rather not have to preside over this case anymore, stated, “Once again, we are stuck with each other Ms. Young.”